A collection of essays by scholars from a wide range of disciplines, NGO staff, international organization professionals and national-level policy makers. Prompted by the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention on the status of refugees, the contributors examine the impact of this legal document on forced migrants, the states they migrate from and to, and the societies they join and leave behind. The book's three main theme consist of the scope for solidarity between states in ensuring that legal and political commitments are upheld; regional approaches to refugee protection and displacement generally; and the human and social consequences of forced migration for those covered by, or excluded from, refugee protection.